Twenty✨

Alex 🖤

Nicole’s exams were finally over, and I could see the weight lift off her shoulders. She looked so much lighter, practically glowing, and I was thrilled to spend this newfound free time with her until graduation. We’d talked about all sorts of plans, and for today, we’d decided to indulge in a Disney movie marathon after breakfast. Everything was perfect—well, almost.

That morning, however, I woke up in an undeniably foul mood. And there was only one reason for that: my mother. She was coming over, and just the thought of it made my stomach twist with dread. My lovely mother dearest, as I sarcastically liked to call her, was making her biannual visit—a pointless exercise, considering she rarely cared about me, let alone Nicole. No, her visits were just another excuse for her to flaunt her extravagant lifestyle, usually with her latest boy toy in tow. I couldn’t remember the last time she came without one.

“Baby girl,” I said as we sat in the kitchen, having breakfast. She was munching on a slice of toast, already wearing a content smile. “My mother is coming over today.”

Her face fell slightly, her brow furrowing. “Oh,” she replied quietly, looking down at her toast as if it suddenly lost its appeal.

“Don’t worry,” I reassured her, placing a hand on hers. “You don’t have to come down to entertain her. In fact, I’d rather you stay up in your room.”

Nicole’s face softened with relief, and she nodded, a small smile returning. “I’d rather do that,” she admitted. “I just… don’t like how she sounds when you talked about her.”

I couldn’t blame her. My mother was totally a different breed, not acting like a mother but rather a college girl. “I’ll take care of her. I promise. And once she’s gone, we’ll have our movie marathon, just like we planned.”

Nicole’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Promise?”

“Promise,” I replied, squeezing her hand. “We’ll start with The Little Mermaid, your favorite.”

She gave me a happy grin and took a sip of her orange juice, looking completely at ease. I loved seeing her like this—content, carefree, safe. And I wasn’t about to let my mother ruin that.

When my mother finally arrived, she swept into the house as if she owned it, her heels clicking sharply against the floor as she tossed her designer purse onto the couch. She immediately started ordering the staff around, telling them where to put her bags and inspecting the furniture as though she was checking for dust.

“Alexander, darling!” she called out, stretching her arms towards me dramatically, her voice dripping with forced affection. “How have you been?”

I stiffened, giving her a curt nod. “Fine, mother. Welcome. And it's Alex”

“Oh, please, don’t be so stiff,” she said with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “You’re so serious. You need to relax more.”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “Yes, well, some of us have responsibilities.”

She scoffed, waving a manicured hand dismissively. “You’re too young to worry about all that. Have fun, darling! Don’t grow old too soon.”

I ignored her comment and excused myself. “I’ll be upstairs if you need anything.” Which, honestly, I hoped she wouldn’t. I went up to my room, grateful for the silence and space away from her, and after a while, I let myself drift into a nap.

Before I settled in, I checked on Nicole to make sure she was still comfortable. I peeked into her room and found her nestled under the blankets, wearing her cozy onesie and clutching Mr. Oopa and Elle, her two most treasured stuffed animals. A pacifier rested in her mouth as she sucked on it gently in her sleep, looking completely at peace. Seeing her so content softened my mood, and I made sure she was tucked in before heading back to my room.

Two hours later, I woke up feeling a bit more refreshed. Stretching, I decided to check on Nicole. But as I walked to her room, I froze in the doorway—her bed was empty.

Panic seized me immediately. Where could she have gone? My mind raced, and I rushed down the stairs. Halfway down, I heard shouting echoing from the living room, my mother’s shrill voice cutting through the air like a knife.

I reached the bottom of the stairs, and there she was—my mother, looming over Nicole, who stood rooted to the spot, her face streaked with tears. My mother was berating her, her words dripping with disdain.

“Just look at you,” she sneered, her voice sharp. “What on earth are you wearing? Are you a child? You look ridiculous!”

Nicole’s hands were shaking as she clutched her onesie, her face flushed with embarrassment and distress. Her lip trembled, and her eyes were wide and frightened, like a deer caught in headlights.

“Stop it, please,” Nicole whispered, but my mother was relentless.

“Oh, you’re pathetic,” she continued, her voice icy. “Crying over a little criticism? How could Alex even bear to be around you, dressed like some infant?”

I could feel my blood boiling. My hands clenched into fists as I stepped closer, but it was my mother’s next action that pushed me over the edge. She reached out and grabbed Nicole’s hair, yanking at her carefully made pigtails, scattering them with a vicious twist of her wrist. Nicole let out a pained wail, the sound ripping through my chest.

That was it. I’d had enough.

“Mother!” I barked, my voice thunderous. She froze, her hand still tangled in Nicole’s hair, but she let go, startled by my tone. I strode forward, placing myself between her and my baby girl, who was scared stiff, glaring down at my mother with all the anger I’d been holding back for years.

“What on earth do you think you’re doing?” I growled.

She blinked, seemingly taken aback by my fury. “Alexander, I was just—”

“You were just what?” I spat, my voice laced with venom. “Humiliating her? Insulting her? Pulling her hair? How dare you.”

My mother’s face twisted, the forced warmth melting into something colder and uglier. “Don’t you take that tone with me, young man. I was merely pointing out—”

“I don’t care what you were pointing out,” I interrupted, my voice steady and deadly. “You had no right to speak to her that way, and you certainly had no right to lay a hand on her.”

Nicole was clutching her scattered pigtails, sniffling softly, her eyes red-rimmed as she looked up at me, seeking comfort. I placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, giving her a soft squeeze. “It’s okay, sweetheart,” I whispered, and she nodded, her tears slowly subsiding.

Turning back to my mother, I kept my voice firm. “You need to leave. Now.”

Her eyes widened in shock, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. “Alexander, you can’t possibly be serious! I’m your mother!”

“Yes, you are. And yet, you show up here only to belittle and insult the people I care about,” I said coldly. “If you can’t respect the people in my life, then I don’t want you here.”

She gaped at me, seemingly stunned into silence. After a few moments, she straightened, her face hardening with pride. “Very well, if that’s how you feel.”

“It is,” I replied without hesitation. “Goodbye, mother.”

With one last indignant huff, she stormed out, her heels clicking furiously against the floor as she left the house. The silence that followed her departure was deafening, but I felt a strange sense of relief settle over me, as though a weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

I turned back to Nicole, who was still trembling slightly, her hands tangled in her messed-up pigtails. I knelt down in front of her, gently brushing the loose strands of hair from her face. “Nicole, are you okay?”

She sniffled, nodding slowly, though her eyes were still glassy with tears. “I… I’m okay. I just… I didn’t mean to make her angry.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong, baby girl,” I assured her softly. “She had no right to treat you like that.”

Nicole’s lip quivered, and fresh tears filled her eyes. “I… I just wanted to say hello, but she started yelling at me and… and said I looked silly.”

I hugged her gently, pulling her close and rubbing soothing circles on her back. “Don’t listen to a word she said. You’re perfect just as you are, baby girl. Don’t ever let anyone make you feel less than that.”

She clung to me, her head resting on my shoulder, and I held her until I felt the tension slowly leave her body. Finally, she pulled back, giving me a small, shy smile.

“Thank you, Daddy,” she whispered.

“Anytime,” I replied, ruffling her hair lightly before smoothing it back down. “Now, what do you say we get those pigtails fixed up and start that Disney marathon?”

Her eyes lit up, and she nodded eagerly. “Yes, please!”

And just like that, her tears faded, replaced by excitement as we headed back upstairs to redo her hair. Once she was settled with her pigtails back in place and snuggled under a blanket on the couch, I popped in The Little Mermaid, and we let the joyful notes of the opening song fill the room.

After three movies and countless laughs, Nicole had finally dozed off, her exhaustion finally catching up with her. I watched her as she slept, her face soft and peaceful. The faint traces of the earlier tears were gone now, but I couldn’t shake the anger that still simmered from seeing her treated so harshly by my mother. The way Nicole had cried, her broken little sobs—it had cut straight through me. No one should ever hurt her like that.

As quietly as I could, I eased off the couch and made my way downstairs to the kitchen. Daisy was bustling around, tidying up and preparing for the evening meal. She looked up as I approached, an apologetic frown already on her face.

“I’m so sorry, Alex,” she said softly, setting down a pan. “I wasn’t around when… when your mother arrived. I didn’t know she’d gone after Nicole until I heard the yelling.”

I shook my head, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “It’s not your fault, Daisy. She’s a grown woman, and she’s responsible for her own behavior. Nicole shouldn’t have to deal with someone like that.”

Daisy sighed, nodding. “The poor dear. She deserves to be loved and treated kindly, not… not whatever that was.”

“Exactly,” I replied. “But I’ll make sure she knows that none of what my mother said matters. And… I’d like to bring dinner up to her room tonight, if that’s alright. I want her to be comfortable.”

Daisy nodded with a soft smile. “Of course. I’ll prepare a tray for you two.”

While Daisy worked on our dinner, I stayed in the kitchen, the warm, savory smells of the food helping to soothe my lingering anger. Eventually, she handed me a tray with two steaming plates, and I thanked her before heading back upstairs.

I opened the door to Nicole’s room, expecting to find her still asleep, but to my surprise, she was already awake. She was sitting up in bed, her face practically glowing as she gazed at me, her eyes round and innocent, as if she’d regressed into a younger mindset. The look of pure, childlike wonder on her face caught me off guard.

“Dada!” she squealed, a delighted giggle escaping her lips.

I felt my heart melt at the sight of her. She was beaming, that innocent, trusting smile lighting up her face as she reached out toward me. Her expression was so purely happy, with none of the pain or fear that had been there earlier. I could see she’d slipped into a littler headspace, perhaps even younger than usual, maybe around one or two years old.

“Hey, princess,” I murmured softly, setting the tray down and moving closer to the bed. “Did you have a good nap?”

Nicole nodded, still giggling, her little arms outstretched. I leaned down to give her a gentle hug, and she nuzzled into my shoulder, her warmth and softness making my chest ache with affection. She looked up at me with those bright, wide eyes, and in that moment, I’d do anything to protect her.

“Dada!” she cooed again, her voice filled with delight. She gave my cheek a sloppy kiss, giggling again. “Dada’s here!”

“Yes, I’m here,” I replied with a smile, unable to help myself from ruffling her hair gently. “And I brought us some dinner. You must be hungry.”

She nodded eagerly, her eyes lighting up at the mention of food. But as she looked down at the tray, her face scrunched up in concentration, as if trying to figure out what to do next. Her tiny hand reached for the spoon, but she fumbled slightly, her fingers not quite managing to grasp it.

“Here, sweetheart, let me help you,” I said, taking the spoon in my hand.

Nicole looked up at me, a smile blooming on her face as she clapped her hands, clearly excited to be fed. She giggled, babbling happily. “Dada feed me!”

With each spoonful I offered her, she opened her mouth wide, eagerly accepting the food and giving me a satisfied smile as she chewed. “Yummy, Dada!” she said, her voice filled with awe as if each bite was a revelation.

“Is it good, princess?” I asked, chuckling as she nodded enthusiastically, her eyes shining with happiness.

“So good, Dada! ‘S my favorite!” she replied, her voice taking on that adorable lisp that only came out when she was in her littlest mindset.

I couldn’t help but smile at her, feeling my heart swell with warmth. Feeding her was such a simple act, but it felt meaningful, grounding. She was safe here, loved here. No one would hurt her as long as I was around.

As I continued feeding her, she kept up a steady stream of happy little babbles, sharing her thoughts in fragmented, sweet phrases.

“Dada… you’re the best!” she said, her voice full of sincerity. “Dada makes me happy.”

“I’m glad, princess,” I replied softly, brushing a stray crumb from her cheek. “You make me happy too.”

She giggled, beaming up at me as if I’d just told her the most wonderful thing in the world. “Really?”

“Yes, really,” I assured her, my voice gentle. “You’re my special girl. I wouldn’t trade you for anything.”

Nicole’s smile grew even wider, her cheeks flushing with happiness. She wriggled in place, practically bouncing with joy as I fed her the last few bites of her meal.

Once she’d finished eating, I wiped her mouth with a napkin, and she leaned forward, pressing a tiny, soft kiss to my cheek. “Thank you, Dada,” she whispered, her voice filled with warmth and gratitude.

“You’re welcome, love,” I replied, brushing a gentle hand over her hair. “How about we get you all comfy, and then maybe we can watch one more movie before bedtime?”

Her eyes lit up, and she nodded enthusiastically, clapping her hands together. “Yes! Movie! Disney!”

I chuckled, standing up to grab a blanket and tucking it around her shoulders, making sure she was cozy. As I put on the next movie, she nestled into my side, her little head resting on my shoulder as her eyes focused on the screen, completely content.

As the opening song played, I glanced down at her, watching the way her eyelids began to droop. It wasn’t long before she was fast asleep again, snuggled close to me with a peaceful smile on her face. I held her gently, my heart full of love and protectiveness.